St. Paul daily globe., 1887-03-14
PLYm0UTH,S PASTOR.
DR.. Dana Eays a Grand Tribute 30
Henry Ward Beecher--The Lesson
Of HIS Life.

of HIS Life.
Plymouth church was crowded last even
Ing with an interesting audience to hear
Dr. Dana's eulogy upon the life and teach
ings of Henry Ward Beecher He took his
text from Hebrews Xi., 4. He being dead
yet speaketh." In substance the speaker
said:
No great life ever loses its power. Death
may give it Il wider sweep. The worlds of
souls live on-their Eanes are used to inspire
and move generations TO do better. And what
Inay we learn from this great mans life-hiS
unhagging devotion to great objects for his
country, for humanity. for God; his sympa-
thy for God; his sympathy with men; his fe-
atty TO his convictions of right; his broad,
loving preSentmeut of truth? He never
would take his personal convictions from
anyone else; he was guided by the convic-
tious OF his own conscience. 1t made him
perfectly fearlcss-ready to advocate that
which was unpopular. Whoever thundered
more loudly than Mr.. Beecher against all
forms OF pharaseism, the iniquites of daily
life, the cOcooaed rich man. the venal poll
tician, the slave mOnger? His toleraton,
however, sometimes made him disagree. He
was impatient with whatever was deceitfui
Who can recall without admiration the man
who long before abolition was pOpular de.
nOunced slavery and preached emancipation?
Garrison aud Phillips, when they could find no
other pulpit, were allowed to occupy the plat
form OF Plymouth church. Long before it
was popular to advocate total abstinence his
was the clarion voice raised in the crusade
against the common vice and the woes Of in
temperance.
HIS LAST PUBLIC SPEECH
was in favor Of the high license bill before
the New York legislature a total abstainer
himself, an ardent prohibitionist, yet his ma
tive spirit OF tO,eration made him willing TO
advocate hiUb lippDsp
ing the agitation of the settlement of Kansas
whether it was to be slave state or n free
state--from Mr.. Beecher's church went out
she colOny not only with Bibles but with bay
onets. Doetrinally he was, as many would
say, lax. but think that Mr.. Beecher was
always true, heartwse. When he left the
Republican party and took up the cause of
aim who now occupies the presidential chair,
although some of US disagreed with him.
we must say that Mr.. Bcecher
followed fcarleSsly his convictions Of right
Then look at the man in the pulpit-his
power it lay ! think more in his insight into
human nature than anything else-a sort OF
moral surgery, not only amazing but ingeni-
Ous. He made his hearers known to them
selves. See how he brOadened ont the pulpit
from its traditional narrOwness, discussing
questions OF labor. social questions temper
ance and political questions. preaching for
business iutegrity-applying the ethics of
tue gospel and urging the practice of its
preceptS- lie bore hardest not upon those
vino failed, but upon those who made great
professions-loving the good Samaritan. and
hating the phariSee. He abhored the man
who lived by 6X4 rule. His scheme of the
oloey was the fatherhood OF God and the
brotherhood of men. These were the twin
thoughts in the front of mis- theology While
he preached Tor the day in which he lived, his
sermons will last for generations and genera
aions; that which makes Shakespeares writ
ngs abiding vii! make his also; there is that
in them which hnds the human heart AS a
preacher. prG-emineut: as an orator hardly
his peer is in America; us a consummate lee
turer, heard all over the world; as reformer,